Use of aged care services before death

This report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare examines people’s use of aged care services in the 8 years before death, using the cohort of 116,481 people who died in 2010–11 aged at least 65.  While some of these people used aged care services only in the year before death, others had accessed services over several years. 

The average age at death of this cohort was 85.2 for women and 81.5 for men. Overall, 80% had used aged care in the 8 years before death.  Almost half (47%) began using aged care more than 4 years before death. The older a person was when they died, the more likely they were to have been accessing a care program at the time of death and around 10% stopped using aged care in the last quarter before death. People used a diversity of care pathways. Around 80% of these people began by using HACC or VHC. Permanent RAC was the first service used for about half of the remainder.  

Use of Aged Care Services Before Death.  Data linkage series no. 19. Cat. no. CSI 21.